Egypt, Senegal elected into the UN Security Council

U.N. member states have elected five countries to two-year terms on the Security Council yesterday. Japan, Egypt, Ukraine, Senegal and Uruguay will join the U.N.’s most powerful organ on January 1, 2016.

The vote in the U.N. General Assembly garnered little excitement, as regional groups had already decided among themselves which countries to put up as their candidates and there was no competition for the five seats. But each country still required a two-thirds majority of voting member states. All five countries far exceeded the required number and received strong support.

After the vote, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry told reporters that Cairo supports efforts of UN mediator Bernardino Leon and hopes the agreement he has been negotiating with the Libyan parties will be endorsed and implemented soon.

The newly elected council members will replace Chad, Chile, Jordan, Lithuania and Nigeria, who complete their terms on December 31.

They will also begin their terms on January first. They will join the five permanent council members — China, France, Russia, Britain and the United States — and five other non-permanent members — Angola, Malaysia, New Zealand, Spain and Venezuela.